


Checkmate

by Maderalia



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Deception, Drama, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:15:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21737431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maderalia/pseuds/Maderalia
Summary: Harrow and Viren play chess. Harrow is pathetic at it. Viren exterminates his army, and he smiles, melting. His smile gets smaller when it's not a game anymore.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Checkmate

In the second winter lounge, a log fire was purring.

On the mahogany table was a chessboard.

The game had been going on for hours, but Viren never got tired of admiring Harrow's puzzled look at some unfortunate white pieces against the black armada of horsemen, pawns, rooks, bishops.

The most recent High Mage of the realm was surprised to find out that His Grace King Harrow of Katolis had absolutely no notion of chess. No preceptor had ever thought fit to teach him the rules, he had no desire to look seriously at it and he refused to ask, out of fear to be taken for a fool. Surprised that the king systematically rejected any proposal for a game, whether from his wife Sarai or from himself, Viren had quickly understood what was going on, and it was the same as every time - still His sacrosanct and morbid Pride. Trying to hide a tender smile, the young mage had offered to teach him the rules, which the just-crowned king had finally, reluctantly, accepted.

Knowing that the experience was far more profitable than the advice, Viren massacred the white soldiers without any mercy.

And of course, if he had summed up the rules at the beginning of the game, he had forbidden him access to any manual or regulation-his Grace would learn on the battlefield. Viren had started that way to teach Claudia magic, and until now, his daughter was doing very well.

Admittedly, it was quite childish, but seeing Harrow frantically scratching his beard and frowning to the point of risking a cramp, it was so ridiculous, so poignant that Viren was struggling to contain the smile that was twisting his lips.

And the smile widens again when Harrow, with an excessively inspired air, moved his king one space forward:

"To win," he said, "sometimes you have to sacrifice your king."

Viren had no idea where this aberration came from. Aberration under cover of a maxim, but aberration all the same.

He did not even ask himself the question and had the most considerable difficulty in hiding a giggle when he moved his black bishop.

"But Harrow, that's exactly how you lose."

The exchange returned to Viren, while years later, he posed the soul-Feng snake violently on the bed, the resentment obstructing his throat, to be able to return to his place: on his knees before his king, as the simple servant he was.

His Grace preferred to die rather than accept his help.

May He die then.

But that He does not come to complain if He founds himself échec et mat.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in 2018.


End file.
